Desk Report,
Barisal residents frustrated by waterlogging, initiative to restore dead canals
Barisal, once known as a city of canals and rivers, is now facing severe waterlogging. The canals spread like a net in the city were once its lifeblood. Even during heavy rains, the water would drain away quickly. There was no waterlogging anywhere. However, now, even with a little rain, various areas of the city are submerged in water. Public life has come to a standstill.
Barisal residents frustrated by waterlogging, initiative to restore dead canals
Initiatives have been taken to restore the dead canals of the city to alleviate the suffering of the city dwellers. The Barisal City Corporation has already proposed a project to restore the dead canals. The Finance Department of the Ministry of Finance has approved the restoration of 80 percent of the proposed project of Tk 701.53 crore, i.e. Tk 561.23 crore as a government grant and the remaining Tk 140.30 crore as a loan.
Barisal has been experiencing heavy rainfall for three consecutive days since last Monday. As the rain continued intermittently on Thursday, various areas of the city are still knee-deep in water. Water has also entered houses in many areas. This has caused extreme suffering to the citizens.
Kazi Mizanur Rahman, a resident of Oxford Mission Road and convener of Barisal General Civil Society, said that even during the terrible cyclone and tidal wave of 1970, water did not rise in their houses. But now the entire city is submerged with a little rain. He said that once there were 24 main canals and numerous branch canals in Barisal. There were more than 3,000 government and private dighis and ponds. Now they are almost gone. Although they have been demanding that the canals be freed from encroachment for a long time, the authorities are indifferent. If this continues, Barisal will soon become an uninhabitable city.
A tour of different areas of the city shows that out of the 24 canals, Jail Canal, Sagardi, Lakutia, Tiakhali, Mohammadpur, Amanatganj, Jaguar and Harinafulia canals are now partially in existence. These canals are also dying due to encroachment and pollution. The rest of the canals are on the verge of extinction. These include Napitkhali, Bhatar Canal, Nabagram, Chandmari, Bheduria, Kaladema, Sapania, Kashipur, Solna, Bharani, Pudiar, Uttar Nabagram Sagardi, Jhorakhali, Tajkathi, Choupasha and Shobharani Canals, etc.
